Quick adjusting bow sight



1970 A. J- FRYDENLUND QUICK ADJUSTING BOW SIGHT Filed March 5, 1968 Jrmmtor United States Patent 3,487,548 QUICK ADJUSTING BOW SIGHT Arthur J. Frydenlund, 533 N. Marquette Road, Prairie du Chien, Wis. 53821 Filed Mar. 5, 1968, Ser. No. 710,613 Int. Cl. G01c /12 US. Cl. 33--46 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a bow with a movable bow sight which may be quickly adjusted to compensate the aim for range. The sight may be moved up and down on a slide bar by manipulating a trigger lever which is attached adjacent the hand grasp portion of the bow and connected to the sight by a linkage. A range calibrated indicator is also attached to the linkage and moves in response to the trigger lever.

This invention relates to archery and more particularly to bow sights which may be adjusted to correct for range.

Archers have long been searching for means of assisting their accuracy of aim. The problem is not easily solved, since unlike gun hunters, archers must often make large corrections in their aim for target distance. The lower velocity and greater weight of arrows, as compared to bullets, result in much more arch in the arrow tra ectory. The bow hunter must therefore compensate for distance by appreciably raising his angle of fire for larger distances.

It is desirous to have a reference point, or sight, on the bow for purposes of aiming, just as a gun usually has a sight on its barrel. However, when the angle of fire has the variance which archers must use, a single reference point on the bow is highly unreliable. Instead of sighting across the sight directly to the target, the archer must sight the target by looking past the bow at a point above the reference, this point being determined according to how the archer judges the distance and to the position of the reference sight.

Prior devices have attempted to solve such problems, as by providing multiple reference sights. Such systems can be quite confusing and the hunter still cannot look directly across the sight to the target unless he determines the distance to be exactly that for which the reference point has been calibrated.

More intricate and complex movable sights have been provided. These have the advantage of providing a reference point which can be adjusted for sighting directly on the target. But prior movable sights have been unsatisfactory since they could not be easily adjusted and usually required the archer to release his grasp of the bow and arrow to eifect the adjustment. When the archer was on a target range, it was acceptable to spend time adjusting the sight to the proper height on the bow. It Was not an acceptable practice when hunting. No target will appear at the precise distance to which the sight is set and the hunter must either waste time adjusting it or guess at the angle of fire and aim by using other means.

Further, the distance is often slightly misjudged and a readjustment is needed for a second shot. Having warned the hunted game by the first shot, a speedy sight adjustment is all the more necessary, and if the ready-fire grasp on the bow must be relieved to adjust the sight, the second sighting of the game will be even more difficult.

For purposes of overcoming these difiiculties, the present invention provides a simply constructed and adjustable bow sight which is usable both on the target range and while hunting and which can be easily raised or lowered for sighting at the correct angle. The hand used for grasping the bow in the firing position can, without altering the grip, manipulate a lever which moves both the sight and a distance indicator. Thus, an archer may judge the distance of a game animal or target, quickly adjust the sight in accordance with the calibration, sight and fire. If he has misjudged slightly, as determined by the fiight of the first arrow, he can re-adjust quickly, sight and fire once more. Being quickly adjustable, the sight can be relied upon for sighting directly to the target and a greater variety of sights may be used for hunting.

More specifically, the device of the invention includes a slide bar attached to the forward side of a bow and to which a sliding arm is operably connected. A bow sight and distance indicator are in turn attached to the sliding arm and a linkage member connects between the arm and a trigger means. The trigger means is disposed on the bow so as to allow its operation by the hand which is grasping the bow for firing. This structure provides the ad vantages of quick and easy adjustment of the bow sight.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the best mode presently contemplated by the invention for carrying out the invention.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view of the central portion of a bow with the sight of the invention attached thereto;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary rear perspective view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the calibrated scale'and the sight; and

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 44 of FIG. 2.

As shown in the drawing, a bow 1 is adapted for use with an arrow 2. The bow has a hand grip 3 with a base portion 4 thereabove. Base 4 has flat sides 5, a rear edge 6 and a front edge 7, as in the usual bow.

A slide bar 8 is fixedly attached to edge 7 as by screws 9 at the upper andlower ends 10 thereof. Slide bar 8 is elongated and is preferably made of metal or plastic. It is shaped to fit the contour of edge 7 and is spaced slightly forwardly therefrom.

On edge 6, a calbrated scale 11, such as a tape with numbers progressing to higher figures at the downside, is attached by suitable means to the bow. The exact calibration may vary for the particular bow and hunter.

Across flat side 5 a sliding arm 12 extends generally horizontally from edge 6 to forward side 7. Arm 12 is curved around the bow to form distance indicator leg 13 on one end and curves around bar 8 on the opposite end.

As shown best in FIG. 4, arm 12 is attached to a slide block 14 as by screws 15. Block 14 has a cut out portion 16 which generally corresponds to the shape and dimensions of a cross section of bar 8. However, opening 16 is slightly larger than the cross section of bar 8, and serves as a slideable connection for arm 12.

A trigger lever 17 is pivotally attached, as by rivet 18 through a wear plate 19 to front flat side 5. Lever 17 is shown as having a slot 20 which is operable by a finger or fingers of a hand grasping the bow, and is thus spaced therefrom according to the size of the hand of the in dividual archer.

Lever 17 has a curved portion 21 extending downwardly and away from front side 5, and is pivotally connected through a link 22 to arm 12, as by rivet 23 and screw 24. A second opening 25 in link 22 above screw 24 provides for adjustment of arm 12 relative to lever 17 for different size bows.

A bow sight 26, shown in this embodiment as of the cross hair type, is disposed at the forward edge of the bow. Sight 26 is shown as having an annular outer wall and is held by a hair-pin like tension spring 27 which surrounds the wall and which has two parallel legs 28 which extend through block 14 and arm 12. The openings through which legs 28 extend are spaced so as to cause spring 27 to tighten onto the wall of sight 26, and to prevent legs 28 from sliding therein, except during manual manipulation for adjustment purposes.

In the operation of the invention, rotation of trigger lever 17 will cause rotation and translation of link 22, which will in turn cause arm 12 to slide up or down on slide bar 8. Arm 12 will remain relatively horizontal by movement generally parallel to edge 7, and cause bow sight 26 to raise or lower simultaneously with the raising or lowering of indicator 13.

The archer will use the device by first judging the distance to a target, then engaging slot 20 with a finger or fingers of the hand grasping the bow to manipulate trigger lever 17 until indicator 17 has slid up or down. The archer then sights through bow sight 26 at the target and fires.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim:

1. For use with a bow having calibration means along one edge and having a handle for manually grasping by the hand of an archer, an adjustable sighting device comprising:

(a) an elongated slide bar for fixed mounting on one edge of the bow opposite from the edge having the calibration means.

(b) an arm slideably mounted on said bar and constructed to extend across a bow face, said arm having an indicator portion adapted to cooperate with the calibration means,

(c) a bow sight on said arm and slideable therewith,

(d) link means attached at one end to said arm,

(e) a trigger lever attached to the other end of said link means,

(f) and pivotal mounting means connected to said bow for mounting said trigger lever adjacent the archers hand,

(g) pivoting of said trigger lever by the said hand causing said arm to slide on said slide bar and to simultaneously move said bow sight and indicator portion.

2. In a bow having a front edge and a handle portion adapted to be grasped by a hand so as to hold the bow upright for firing in a forward direction, a bow sight device comprising:

(a) an adjustable arm operably attached to the bow and mounted for movement therealong generally parallel of the bow front edge,

(b) a bow sight attached to said arm for movement therewith to adjust said sight for various ranges,

(c) and manually operable trigger means comprising:

((1) a lever rotatably attached to the bow adjacent the handle portion, and

(e) a linkage pivotally attached between the lever and said adjustable arm and constructed to translate rotational movement of the lever into said movement of said arm.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein a connecting assembly operably attaches said adjustable arm to the bow, said connecting assembly comprising:

(a) an elongated track secured to the bow and extending along the bow front edge, and (-b) a coupling member slidably coupled to said track and secured to said adjustable arm.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,545,434 3/1951 Fredrickson. 2,559,927 7/1951 Beloungy. 3,013,336 12/1961 Pennington.

LEONARD FORMAN, Primary Examiner s. 'L. STEPHAN, Assistant Examiner 

